Why I Love the Christmas Season And It's not About the Gifts

Or that my birthday is three days before Christmas. Actually, it leaves much to be desired if you were born in this most-celebrated season. December birthday celebrant will agree that your birthday gets overshadowed by Christmas itself. Truth. So, yes, not that too. But don't get me wrong. I don't hate my birthday either. But now, on to why I love the season. Want to take a shot at guessing?

Answer? This.

Generation Good: Saving Money and Energy by Being Smart about My Laundry

New Seventh Generation Energy Smart Laundry detergent / Photo +Maricris G 

Before I start "airing my dirty laundry" ( as in real dirty laundry ) on this laundry-inspired topic, and before you go saying, "oh it's just another totally fake, hyped-up review from another sell-out blogger/reviewer", I'll tell you now that I'm a believer of Seventh Generation for years and have been, and is, a regular consumer of their products. This is the reason I had no qualms accepting their offer, pronto, to test and review their new Energy Smart Liquid Laundry Detergent before it comes out in the market. And because why not -  it's new and I love the brand, so let me test it. Sounds totally fair, right?

Anyway, I'm not here to convince you - obviously, you're old enough to make your own decisions - but as you can tell, I'm here to share my personal experience of the said product. So, enough of the chatter already. Here's my take on the detergent.

DIY: How to Give An Old Square Storage Trunk Box A Modern Look

The redesigned Square Trunk Box / Photo: +Maricris G 

You know when you decide to spawn your own minions, aka have a child, you'd end up with bunch of schtuffs you have no clue what to do with after they are older. This woman here? Guilty! I've made Goodwill a very happy recipient though so, that's a win there. Now while I got rid of A LOT,  I saved some that I can repurpose for home decor at our new and bigger house. No joke, there was more space to decorate and heck, I wasn't ready to break my already broken bank by buying additional home decor to pretty up the new house. Me haz creative talent, so me haz to utilize it!

In the creative table was this old, stained square trunk box that used to house more toys that my daughter can keep up with, which I transformed into an adorable, contemporary storage box that now holds a permanent spot next to my coat tree. Go see.

DIY: Quick and Easy Way to Dress Your Walls with Coasters

Wooden Coasters Wall Decor / Photo: +Maricris G 

I have my fair share of international travels and like any travelers, I have collected ahem, a "few" souvenir items along the way. One of my favorite acquisition are these wooden coasters that bear images portraying the culture of the country it came from.  I wanted a way to display them on my wall as an accent decor but my first attempt to put them in a frame proved futile. They were about thick enough that it will simply not work. Now my second attempt proved to be the best solution. By doing so, it gave the whole ensemble a rustic feel and authentic character all on its own.  Check it out.

Watch the video for DIY instructions:

Useful Ways to Utilize Laundry Dryer Sheets You Never Thought Possible

This is my second cover story on dryer sheets. I promise, I'm not obsessed with my dryer sheets. It only happened that I discovered different uses that is worth sharing. My creative brain found ways to utilize the product beyond its standard use and so far they've work to my advantage. This time, I'm pushing the boundaries beyond a dryer sheet's usage. To me, it's no longer just a fabric softener. It is more.

Xtreme Recycling: Flower Bouquet and Potpourri from Dryer Sheets

Did you know you can turn your used dryer sheets into a cute work of art? Yes you can and I'm going to show you how! I recently changed fabric softener sheets (aka dryer sheets) brand and though I like both, I prefer the latter due to its ability to retain its scent even after usage. This "inspired" my creativity to recycle the sheets into something appealing and useful. Instead of throwing them away, I turned the used sheets into scented flower bouquet and the extra, into "potpourris" where the bouquet sits. The creation looks cute and smells good. So, don't toss your used dryer sheets yet until you try your hands on this one! Makes for a fun project and great recycling idea too.

Home Solutions: Saving the Unwanted Candles

I have been keeping a few ugly, defaced but scented decorative candles which I ironically love, for a few many years now. They were part of my "candle garden" that I lovingly put together and displayed proudly on my coffee table when my daughter was about 6. A few days into being displayed, my daughter decided to be Freddy Krueger and "massacred" the poor things. She gouged out chunks of their top layers and left traces of colored entrails everywhere. Much to my shock and horror after discovering this tragedy, I decided to store them away rather than toss. I did say I love them right? But of course, I completely forgot all about them until we moved and unearthed them during one of my unpacking sessions.